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Topic: A lot of weight to lose (Read 10352 times)

Physical fitness is an area I have seriously neglected and it's well past time I do something about it. I currently top 300lbs and want to, eventually, get back to 180.

I'm posting this here to share my experience, but also to help keep me accountable. Hopefully, it will provide an incentive to keep me on track. Afterall, I'd hate to update this thread with failures.

To begin, I'm mostly going to be restricting calories and going low carb. Vigorous exercise probably not a good idea until I get some of this weight off my joints, but I can walk just fine and keep mobile.

I'm not sure how often I will update, but I will let y'all know how things are going.

In short, sugar (especially fructose, which is half of natural sugar and 55% of high-fructose corn syrup) is REALLY bad for people. Eating an occasional piece of fruit is fine, eating concentrated fruit sugar is bad. Don't believe the food pyramid BS that the government and their shills advocate, learn how different foods result in different metabolism and eat enough, of the right foods. And while we're at it, in addition to avoiding soft drinks made with HFCS, avoid those made with artificial sweeteners too.

Do I treat Glocks like I treat my lawn mowers? No, I treat them worse. I treat my defensive weapons like my fire extinguishers and smoke detector - annual maintenance and I expect them to work when needed

Thanks guys - I already have the Why We Get Fat book and have read most of it.

I think I can cut the sugars a fair bit, but the artificial sweeteners will be a tougher habit to break. I have grown accustom to the diet sodas, but tea or plain water would be better (and cheaper) for me.

After a cardiac episode I stated a regime of walking first thing in the morning. I started out slowly and strolled along for 1/2 hour. Eventually worked up to a 4 mile walk and the speed increased. I changed nothing else and lost 30 lbs in 6 months. (And I do mean every morning. It is now so much a habit I don't function well until have had my walk.)

Uh, pardon my ignorance, but what is the problem with the artificial sweeteners?

He said, craving another PepsiMax...

Well, no science....just a personal anecdote (which is, technically, scientific evidence, just the worst kind) but I have found in myself that relying on them results in worse perceived health than skipping them.

Generally I try to avoid eating anything I can't at least theoretically grow or raise myself. Technically I could synthesize artificial sweeteners but the feedstock isn't something I'd eat. I won't eat cheez-whiz for the same reason

Do I treat Glocks like I treat my lawn mowers? No, I treat them worse. I treat my defensive weapons like my fire extinguishers and smoke detector - annual maintenance and I expect them to work when needed

One of the problems with artificial sweeteners is that the mere taste of sweetness can trigger an insulin cascade. Insulin is, in a word, bad for overweight people. If insulin is circulating in your bloodstream, you cannot burn fat for energy, you can only store excess energy as fat.

That's oversimplification, but....

Also, CJ, while I didn't quite hit 300, I was close enough at 260 and 5'10". Maybe you can get a little inspiration from my own story here: